


wasting time together

by simpskywalker



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Day At The Beach, Episode: s03e18-21 Sozin's Comet, F/M, First Kiss, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, that's the official shipname because i said so, zukkini
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:26:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27217153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpskywalker/pseuds/simpskywalker
Summary: As he watched Sokka whisper something in Suki’s ear and giggle, Zuko clenched his fists, the itch of his palms only growing in intensity. He had to stop this, he had to destroy the sand structures with his bending, he had to catch Aang off his guard, he had to—“Hey, Zuko! Come hang out with us!” Sokka yelled.A slight canon divergence of Sozin's Comet, Part 1.
Relationships: Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Suki/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Suki/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 213





	wasting time together

**Author's Note:**

> I just finished watching ATLA for the first time a couple of days ago and couldn't get this quick Zukkini idea out of my head. I mainly write for Star Wars but I might return to ATLA one day, who knows, lol.
> 
> Also, when I thought about it for long enough I realized this isn't even a fix-it because then Zuko doesn't have the opportunity to tell the Gaang about the war meeting, oops. Maybe he tells Suki and Sokka later that day? Idk, don't think about it too hard, just enjoy the fluff! <3

Zuko’s palms itched.

Sozin’s Comet was coming in only three days. Thoughts of the impending conflict plagued Zuko’s every waking moment. He could barely sleep at night, and nightmares of his father burning Aang into ashes and cackling haunted him during the few hours of rest he ever got.

Ultimately, Zuko knew he wasn’t going to be the one to defeat Ozai. That would be Aang’s job. But that didn’t stop Zuko from feeling responsible for the outcome of the fight. What if he hadn’t been good enough of a teacher for Aang? What if Aang hadn’t mastered firebending enough to take down the Firelord? What if Zuko had failed, and the world went up in flames all because of him?

Everything hinged on the upcoming confrontation. Aang _needed_ more training. They couldn’t just waste precious time having “fun” at the beach. Going surfing and building silly sand structures wouldn’t help Aang master the elements and restore balance to the world. Zuko just couldn’t comprehend how everyone else was playing and laughing like everything was fine and there wasn’t a doomsday deadline hanging over their heads and the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Zuko stood to the side, glaring at Sokka’s miserable attempt at capturing Suki’s beauty. It was Sokka’s fault they were even spending time at the beach in the first place. He stared at Sokka and Suki as Sokka gave Suki a peck on the cheek. Zuko told himself that the flip of his stomach was only because he was pissed at the two of them and their stupid idea of fun. There was no other possible explanation.

As he watched Sokka whisper something in Suki’s ear and giggle, Zuko clenched his fists, the itch of his palms only growing in intensity. He had to stop this, he had to destroy the sand structures with his bending, he had to catch Aang off his guard, he had to—

“Hey, Zuko! Come hang out with us!” Sokka yelled. Zuko nearly growled and razed down the whole beach, screaming about how there was no time for hanging out with the comet so close. But… there was just something magnetic about Sokka’s giant grin and impossibly wide puppy eyes. So, Zuko swallowed down his protests and dragged his feet through the sand over to Suki’s towel. He could at least find out whatever they were up to before implementing his plan to resume Aang’s training. If Zuko was being honest, he missed the easy camaraderie the three of them had formed at the Boiling Rock.

Zuko had almost made it across the beach when Sokka jumped up and grabbed his hand. Zuko stopped in his tracks as his heart skipped a beat. He forced a scowl onto his face but refused to let go of Sokka’s hand. He couldn’t let Sokka escape from his grasp and start any more trouble. It had nothing to do with the way Sokka was beaming at him with a charming, mischievous glint in his eyes. It most certainly had nothing to do with the way Zuko’s heart stuttered as Sokka’s thumb traced tiny circles on his palm.

“Zuko, didn’t you know it’s illegal to frown while on the beach?” Sokka asked. Easy for him to say, since he always had a stupidly broad smile plastered on his stupidly pretty face.

Zuko rolled his eyes and used all of his strength to keep the corners of his mouth downturned. “Says who?”

Suki laughed as she stood up from her position sprawled out on the towel. “Says both of us, obviously,” she said, grabbing Zuko’s other hand. Zuko flushed a shade of red he had previously thought would be impossible.

“I have no time for whatever game you two are playing at. There are more important things to do,” Zuko forced out, but his voice wavered and he finally couldn’t stop himself from smiling just a bit at the antics of his… friends? The concept was still rather foreign to him, and though he thought he could rightfully call Sokka and Suki his friends, the word still seemed slightly off from the truth. His brain couldn’t focus on solving that puzzle at the current moment, though, for it was too busy overloading from affection at the feeling of both of them holding his hands and his heart in their hands.

Sokka smirked. “Yeah? Like what?”

“Like, uh… like…” Of course, any thoughts of some sort of plan had fallen out of his head the moment Sokka had asked. Zuko felt utterly consumed by the present, too busy freaking out about the closeness of Sokka and Suki’s faces to remember anything about the future.

“I’ve got an idea,” Sokka said, his grin now even closer to Zuko’s face. Zuko stared into his eyes and gave the most coherent response he could, which was an unintelligible squeak.

All of a sudden, Sokka swooped in and planted a kiss on Zuko’s cheek, and Zuko’s heart stopped entirely. His jaw dropped as he struggled to formulate words.

“Uhh, did it work?” Sokka asked, flushing embarrassedly as Suki rolled her eyes at him. “I’m really sorry if I misread the situation, we can forget this ever happened if you want—”

“What about you and Suki?” Zuko blurted out, finally able to formulate sentences again. He wanted to shrink into his own body and disappear, but he was enjoying holding Sokka and Suki’s hands too much to run away. Oh spirits, he really hoped he wasn’t destroying a relationship.

Sokka laughed. “Oh, don’t worry about that. Well, you see, we were talking, and it’s totally fine if you’re not okay with it, but perhaps if you wanted to…”

As Sokka rambled on incomprehensibly, suddenly nervous to ask about something, Suki leaned over and kissed Zuko’s other cheek. Zuko didn’t think he could blush even harder than he already was, but more and more impossibilities were being proven true that day.

“What this dummy is trying to say is that we’d like you to join our relationship. That is, if you’re okay with it, of course,” Suki said, flashing a sweet smile.

Zuko hesitated. He had only ever been in one relationship, with Mai, and he didn’t want to mess things up again. But, if Sokka and Suki weren’t lying, and they truly wanted _Zuko_ of all people to be a part of their love…

“I’d love to,” Zuko said, and Sokka punched the air. Suki punched his arm in response, but Sokka just grinned.

“Then, I can think of some much better ways to spend our time today.”


End file.
